• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Graft-versus-host disease

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

GVHD

Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to suppress the immune response without damaging the new marrow. Medicines commonly used include methotrexate and cyclosporine, either alone or in combination.

High-dose corticosteroids are the most effective treatment for acute GVHD. Antibodies to T cells are given to patients who do not respond to steroids.

Treatment of chronic GVHD includes prednisone (a steroid) with or without cyclosporin (an immune suppressant). If these medicines do not work, experimental treatments are the only option.

Expectations (prognosis):

How well a person does depends on the severity of the condition. Some cases of GVHD can lead to death.

Many cases, whether acute or chronic, can be treated successfully. Sometimes treatment of the condition can lead to severe complications.

Successful treatment of GVHD does not guarantee that the bone marrow transplant itself will succeed in treating the original disease.

Complications:

• Cholestasis
• Moderate-to-severe damage to the liver, lung, or digestive tract
• Severe infection
• Severe lung disease

Calling your health care provider:

If you have had a bone marrow transplant and are no longer in the transplant center, call your health care provider immediately if any unusual symptoms appear, including:

• Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Skin rash
• Stomach cramps
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)

References:

Hoffman R, Benz Jr. EJ, Shattil SJ, et al., eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 4th ed . Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingston; 2005:1783-92.

Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, et al. (eds.) Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 16th Edition (Online). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2005.

• Review Date: 5/30/2007
• Reviewed By: Donald Accetta, MD, MPH, President, Allergy & Asthma Care, PC, Taunton, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.